A long-term study has found that low cumulative exposure to benzodiazepine and antidepressant medications does not seem to affect cognition in schizophrenia. However, long-term high-dose use of antipsychotic drugs seemed to be associated with poorer cognition, whereas a relatively long break in antipsychotic use was associated with better cognitive functioning.

Researchers are moving closer to realizing the clinical potential of drugs that have previously been shown to support healthy aging in animals. Aging experts say that, if proven to be effective and safe in humans, these drugs could be ‘transformative’ by preventing or delaying chronic conditions as a group instead of one at a time.

Researchers want to prevent alpha-synuclein from accumulating in the brain. To do so, the team searched for drugs that turn down alpha-synuclein production. They then tested the drugs in mice and stem cells and studied in data from the health records of millions of people living in Norway. The results of their efforts, point to a new drug development path for PD.

As prescription drug spending continues to rise in the United States, along with prices for new and well-established drugs, insurers, employers and patients are searching for ways to cut costs. A new study found that a policy called reference pricing is effective at encouraging patients to spend significantly less on prescription drugs by choosing cheaper drugs over name brand options.

An updated analysis of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering drugs, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, finds they are not cost-effective at current prices and that even greater price reductions than previously estimated may be needed to meet cost-effectiveness thresholds.

There may no silver bullet for treating liver cancer or fatty liver disease, but knowing the right targets will help science develop the most effective treatments. Researchers have just identified a number of drug targets that can be used in the development of new efficient treatment strategies with minimum side effects.

Scientists found a gene variant that affects cholesterol levels also could increase the risk of contracting typhoid fever. A common cholesterol-lowering drug could protect animal models against Salmonella Typhi, the culprit behind the potentially deadly infection. The findings give insight into the mechanisms that govern human susceptibility to infectious disease and point to possible avenues to protect against pathogens — like Salmonella or Ebola — whose entry into host cells is regulated by cholesterol.